Calling all fangirls: 23-year-old, Framlingham-raised pop star, Ed Sheeran, has revealed on Twitter that he has given his ‘whole wardrobe’ to ‘a bunch of charity shops’ in Suffolk, including clothing worn during gigs and music videos.

The tweet received a positive response from girls cooing over his generosity to those with the determination to drive three hours in order to bag one of the “Fenchurch tees” that he mentions in his lyrics.

Clean cut kid without a razor for the moustache
I hit back, when the pen hurts me
I’m still a choir boy in a Fenchurch tee
I’m still the same as a year ago

Ed, known for his support of charities, performed at the Royal Albert Hall last night in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. He is also an ambassador for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).

At present, it is not known by the public, the media or the charity shop managers so far interrogated, exactly which shop(s) he donated to.

A spokesperson for EACH explained, “We’re not aware of any of Ed’s wardrobe items being donated to our network of shops, but fans have visited our Ipswich shop this morning enquiring about it.”

It could be that the singer deliberately kept the location of the clothing a secret in order to encourage fans to enter charity shops that they perhaps would have never thought of visiting.

However, one question remains: Is this what it’s going to take to keep charity shops alive? What will they be in five years time without celebrity donations?

Last year, Victoria and David Beckham donated thousands of designer clothing to the Red Cross to help victims of Tycoon Haiyan – the donation was a success but the buying frenzy soon declined after most of their clothes had been sold. Most other shops in the area reported that their sales had deteriorated due to the fact that their customers were hunting for the Beckhams’ garb.

Celebrity donations are generous, indeed, but would the average man or woman blink twice at a charity shop without knowing that a famous person’s clothing is lingering inside?

Let us know your thoughts.

Words: Jennifer Meredith
Photography: Jen O’Neill